The outpouring of generosity of the American people (and the world) to the Haitian people should put to rest the notion that Americans are isolationists and selfish.
More than half of American households have contributed money and/or other supplies to Haiti relief efforts. There is no reason to believe that they will not continue to support Haiti in any way that they can. From all of us in the Haitian community: Thank you!
More than two weeks after the devastating earthquake, the country is slowly preparing for the rebuilding effort, an effort that will be long and difficult. The international community is working to find ways to assist Haiti.
The early signs are very hopeful. For example, at a donor conference last week, the international community pledged $1 billion for reconstruction. The International Monetary Fund (IFM) has thus far approved $114 million to help the Haitian government restore some financial services and kick start the rebuilding effort. The U.S. has already contributed close to $120 million, and Canada and Spain have contributed a total of $97 million, according to published reports. These funds are significant and can help put Haiti on a path to sustainable development.
However, the Haitian government, the international community, and advocacy organizations cannot afford to be complacent with such generosity of ordinary individuals from around the world. These funds are their tax money; they need to be used wisely, efficiently, and with complete transparency. Two things are needed to ensure that these funds are used efficiently and help build a better Haiti: a Planning Board and a Supervisory Board.
The Planning Board would be responsible for assessing the need of the entire country and coming up with a comprehensive rebuilding plan. The Supervisory Board would be responsible for approving the plan and reporting to the public. It would be responsible for issuing quarterly reports that are clear and concise on what funds have been spent. These steps would ensure transparency and would give confidence to both the Haitian people and the international community that their generosity and hard work are in fact making a difference.
These Boards should include former public officials in Haiti, people from the private sector, and representatives from the international community. It is reasonable to make a case that some government, for example, the United States, Canada, and South Africa, could have a representative on any of the Boards. This would ensure that the rebuilding effort is multinational, as it is obvious that Haiti cannot do it alone. Again, all of this would help create trust in the rebuilding effort.
There are four areas that are critical to building a better Haiti, and the Planning Board should prioritize them. These areas are infrastructure, education, agriculture, and a justice system. Here are some suggestions on all of them and why they are important to a functioning Haiti.
The rebuilding plan should make a serious investment in education by building schools in all nine departments of the country. Building schools should include building libraries. The plan should focus on public schools; the private sector can build private schools. The other element regarding education is the development of teacher-training programs at all levels. Within the training programs, there should be ways to encourage community-base volunteerism among the youth.
The second pillar is infrastructure. Infrastructure means not just roads, but also a power grid, a sewer system, etc. Let’s focus here on roads. There is essentially one road to travel from Jean-Rabel (North-West Department) to Tiburon (South Department). Haiti needs a mini US-highway type system. It would revolutionize communication and commerce, which are essential for the development of the country. Without a reasonably strong infrastructure, there will be no development in Haiti, and Haiti and the world will have missed a historic opportunity to lift the Haitian people out of misery and poverty.
Why infrastructure is important? Weak or no infrastructure raises the costs of doing business as producers and suppliers would have difficulty moving their goods and services. In such a case, entrepreneurs would go to countries that have infrastructure to operate their businesses. As a result, Haiti would continue to be in a competitive disadvantage vis-…-vis its regional competitors. Losing businesses to its competitors would translate into continued unemployment of pre-earthquake levels of more than 70 percent.
The third pillar is agriculture. Any rebuilding plan should include programs to invigorate the agricultural sector, which may include a re-examination of agricultural trade policies. As the agricultural sector is invigorated, more people will be incentivized to resettle to the countryside, which would help solve the issue of overcrowded cities. These efforts would begin to give the Haitians a workable self-control of this most important sector of Haiti’s economy.
Finally, Haiti must have a credible justice system. This is critical. Haiti never had a fair justice system and, as a result, there is a gulf of mistrust on the part of the majority of the Haitian people. As such, minor disputes linger or escalate to violence. There cannot be a functioning society without a functioning justice system. There is no other way of saying this. Here are some suggestions to address this issue.
1. Create a Judicial Advisory Board made up of Americans, Caribbean-US French-born Haitian judges.
Some to serve as Supreme Court Judges (top level)
Some to serve as on the Appeal Courts (middle level)
Establish judicial educational programs for current Haitian lawyers and judges.
2. Build at least one new law school in each department of the country and strengthen existing law school curricula.
Establish a Public Defender’s Office in each department. (low level)
Set up Conflict Resolution Boards in rural communities with clear guidelines/channels for cases to move up the chain in the judicial system.
All of these efforts would help establish a strong social contract between the rich and the poor, and they would help facilitate upward mobility socially, economically, and politically.
Figaro Joseph is director for a Partnership For A New Haiti. Sylvio Siffrain is president for a Partnership For A New Haiti. Robert Jean is communications director of Partnership For A New Haiti. All three authors are natives of Haiti. The organization can be reached at partnershipforanewhaiti@gmail.com. EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
